life

On Achievement and Failure

Here are some of my thoughts on achieving success and overcoming the failures that come with it:

• Fear Fizzle More than Failure

• The Three Different Types of Luck

• What’s Next?

• Know Your Competition

• Are Successful People Just Putting in More Effort?

• You Should Have More Spectacular Failures

• What Should Your Goals Be?

• How I Choose Projects

• How to Lead an Interesting Life and Still Get Stuff Done

• If You’re Young, Do Harder, Riskier Things

• Is Obsession a Prerequisite for Success?

• Routine is the Enemy of Good

• Should You Plan to Retire

• Is the Ideal Lifestyle Designed or Earned?

• Ruthless Focus and the Art of Saying No

• What are You Going to Be Exceptional at in 10 Years?

• Don’t Swim in the Shallow Waters

On Ideas, Books and Reading

• What are the Core Ideas of Self-Improvement?

• Should You Follow Less News?

• Is Old Advice Better?

• The Power of Being Weak

• Does it Matter Whether Advice is Authentic?

• How to Pick Which Books to Read

• Book Club: Tao Te Ching

• Book Club: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

• The Problem with Advice

• Should You Know Your IQ?

• Being Honest with Yourself is Hard

• Are There Books You Should Re-Read Every Year?

• Should You Maintain an (Almost) Empty Reading Queue?

• Never Be Too Pleased With Your Past Work

• Living Closer to Reality

• Cynicism is Easy, Optimism Takes Guts

• Here’s What’s Wrong with Self-Help

• Should an Atheist Be Reading the Great Books of Religion?

• Does Thinking About the Ideal Life Actually Lead to Living One?

• Criticism and Praise are the Same

• Ten Ideas That Have Shaped My Life

On Choosing What to Do

• Should You Fix Weaknesses or Focus on Your Strengths? Here’s How to Decide.

• Should You Desire More or Less?

• How to Make Hard Life Decisions

• Can You Change What You Like?

• The Simple Algorithm for Making Big Life Decisions

• Games Worth Playing

• On Keeping Your Word

• Watch Out for “Good” Ideas

• Blank Slate Moments

• Philosophical Tourism

• What if Luck Matters More than Effort?

• Day Jobs vs Side Projects

• Staying in School Forever

• The Obvious Choice is Often the Worst One: Why People Fail Choosing Jobs, Classes and Dates

• Silencing the Background Noise of Life

• If You’re So Smart, Why is Your Life Still a Mess?

• Should You Wander the World or Build a Home?

• Does the Ideal Life Depend on Your City?

• The Pleasure of Living Within Constraints

• Should Your Twenties Be for Work or Play?

On Finding Your Purpose in Life

• Swimming Upstream Against Your Destiny

• Losing Yourself

• We Become the Story We Tell Ourselves

• World Travel or Finding Passion Won’t Escape Who You Are

• Don’t Know What You Want?

• Feeling Lost? Stop Worrying About Your “Life Purpose”

• Are Passions Discovered or Constructed?

• The Power of Curiosity

• Are You Missing This Essential Foundation for a Good Life?

On Values and Deciding What Matters

• (A Little) Conformity is a Good Thing

• Who Has Time for Hobbies?

• What’s Your Life Strategy?

• Why You Should Be More Extreme

• Do You Need Self-Discipline to Have Fun?

• If You Had Ten Years to Learn Anything, What Would You Do?

• First, See the Circle

• Are You Trying to Be Too Original? What I Learned About the Value of Imitation From China

• Be Bold, Presumptuous and Stop Caring What Others Think

• The Fear of Going Soft

• Things Worth Knowing, Even Poorly

• Wanting the Right Things

• Does Enjoyment Trump Efficiency?

• Asking the Right Questions

• Inconvenient Conveniences — Is Easier Always Better?

• The Serious Pursuit of Fun

• How to Chip Away at Your List of Necessities

• You’re Going to Lose Everything Eventually

• Doubt

• Humility is More Important than Confidence

• Average Doesn’t Mean Secure

• Need Little, Want Lots

• What’s Your Poverty Threshold?

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About Scott

I'm a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcast host, computer programmer and an avid reader. Since 2006, I've published weekly essays on this website to help people like you learn and think better. My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more. I don't promise I have all the answers, just a place to start.MORE ABOUT MECONTACT ME

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